Naming Zatara
September 28th, 2006 by Kelson. Posted in Comics and tagged for Comics, sexism, zatanna, zataraI flipped through Teen Titans #39, which introduces the new Zatara. He’s apparently Zatanna’s cousin, which makes him the original Zatara’s nephew (appropriate for a cartoon character).
OK, that makes sense. He’s got a connection to the original, he’s got a right to the name, he’s got a legacy of magic, DC gets to keep the trademark going, etc.
But wait a minute. Like the original, Zatara’s his last name. Zatanna, however, is her first name. (Though I have to question the wisdom in naming your daughter “Zatanna Zatara,” “Zachary Zatara” isn’t much better. I wonder if they ever get together and perform with ZZ Top?)
We have two related characters, one male, one female. The teenage boy goes by his last name, and the grown woman goes by her first name.
Figures.
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One Response to “Naming Zatara”
By Athelind on Sep 30, 2006
Just to play Devil’s Advocate:
The grown woman has asserted her own identity as an individual, while the teenaged boy feels likeonly his lineage grants him credibility.